The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New research found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia (失智症) in later life-and if they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.

Lead researcher Dr.Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said: “These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people’s cardiovascular (心血管的) fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia.”

For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were tired out to measure their peak (最大值的) cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.

A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level with a capacity of 120 watts or higher. While 92 women were in the medium fitness category; a total of 59 were of low fitness level, with a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their tests stopped because of health problems.

These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.

“However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association,” said Horder. “More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important.” She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were from Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.

I'm really happy to be your pen friend. I'm 14 years old and I live in Calgary, Canada. I have two little brothers, Brian and Sam. I'm the only girl.

I'm active in sports and I'm always trying something interesting. I like playing hockey (曲棍球) in winter. It's fun! But summer is my favorite time of the year. I love skateboarding and rock climbing (滑滑板和攀岩) in summer.

Many girls think skateboarding is difficult, but it is easy and fun for me. I often skateboard in the park after school. I'm good at jumping with the skateboard!

Rock climbing is also really fun. I usually climb with my dad on the weekend. We can't do it on real mountains often because we live in the city. We often do indoor rock climbing.

So that's me-Little Miss Active! My friends like to call me that. I like the name. What sports do you like? Please write back soon.

Bye for now

Anne

Most of the teenagers today have realized the importance of physical activity. There are dozens of far-reaching benefits that sports can bring into their lives. Aside from providing an excellent form of exercise，organized sports can teach a young person some essential life-long lessons.

With an abundance of junk food at their fingertips, teenagers today often battle with eating. Playing a sport can act as great motivation for them to eat nutritious food. In order to participate fully in sports，teenagers have to have a balanced diet. Learning to eat properly and sleep correctly are important lessons that carry on to their adult lives.

Most teenagers have to deal with the stresses of popularity, appearance and fitting in. Participating in sports, however, can help them develop a positive self-image. If one struggles to feel like they belong, joining a team is a great way to give him or her social interaction that will eventually lead to a group of friends.

Team sports aren't just about developing skills for their games. Those who participate in team sports will learn the benefits of working hard, setting goals and following rules. When teens have a coach they respect, they can also learn to listen to the authority and work hard toward a common goal. Additionally, learning to deal with losses is as important as winning with dignity. A teen who learns that losses are a part of life will be able to face any difficult challenges waiting for him or her later in life.

Thousands of studies all agree that students feel more connected with their school and are motivated to work harder in class if they participate in sports. Sports give teens the opportunity to be around competitive people and gain an appreciation for hard work. Of course, participating in sports may also teach teenagers how to balance between two equally important things—like schoolwork and sports.